How to improve your small blind plays

[Leandro Veiga]

I realized that I was losing a lot of money playing in the small blind. So I started to adjust my range and avoid speculative hands against strong increases. For example, now I only pay with medium or high pairs and 3-bet with AK or better. That small change has already increased my win rate in that position. What do you do in the small blind?

 

[kecoakbogor]

yes, i used thats startegy too for early, play time and learning the opponent movement

 

[tagece]

Sometimes, when three or more players limps before me, I call with weak cards in the SB. It's cheap, and when you hit a good hand in flop, it could be very profitable.

 

[sibkaz]

It all depends on the opponents...)

 

[Poker_Mike]

I realized that I was losing a lot of money playing in the small blind. So I started to adjust my range and avoid speculative hands against strong increases. For example, now I only pay with medium or high pairs and 3-bet with AK or better. That small change has already increased my win rate in that position. What do you do in the small blind?

I like to fold.

If I call or raise then I am always out of position.

Good luck !

 

[EvertonGirl]

I like to play fold or raise in the SB, I tend to not raise a raise from U unless its a premium hand but I like to 3b against a steal

 

[john_entony]

A lot depends on my opponent. Somewhere around 60-70%. On the small blind you can play aggressively on board, you can play passively against a player who plays aggressively. But more often it's a “fold” on the pre-flop. The worst position at the table won't add to you advantage.

 

[martDdart]

Against only the bigblind preflop,I raise with a medium and strong hand and limp with any other hand against a passive/tight player and against an aggressive player I raise with a medium hand,limp and reraise with a strong hand and fold a weak hand.

 

[ninocabral]

Keep it up, avoid hands that will leave you in a bad situation post flop since you will be the first to act being in small

 

[dompoker]

You can be more aggressive to steal in that position, it always works.

 

[dreamer13]

Texas Hold'em is a very difficult game to play from the small blind. Even the best players have a hard time winning from the small blind. That's the way it was and that's the way it will be. And we have to accept that.The main reason the small blind is such a difficult and losing position is that we will be the first to act on every street of postflop betting. Playing out of position means that our opponents will see what we do before they act, giving them more information about the strength of our hand than we will have information about the strength of theirs.And this will be a major problem for us throughout the hand, as any experienced player knows how important position is in poker, especially in Texas Hold'em.You should never feel committed to a pot just because you have already put a blind in. It is not profitable to try to protect the money you have put in the pot as blinds every time, so play your hands from these positions the same as from any other.

 

[duqnuk]

SB is a very weak position. In poker there are several factors to analyse so every situation is different. But, in a general way, in SB when facing a raise you should very often fold and only play stronger hands (even when facing a limp from the BTN the better play sometimes is just fold), when folded to you thought and is a blind war (SB vs BB) you could put pressure on BB with a very wide range.

I'm saying the obvious here but is interesting to revisitate those fundamental factors;
SB is the first to act
SB always has to pay chips to see a flop (different from the BB, since a few times people limp)
And in SB your range despite being wide, can be predictable to your opponents.

You can use that to your advantage of course, and make a lot of money out of SB in those scenarios where you dominate the board hitting trips, up and down straights, and so on. But statistically your going to loose way more then you win in SB, so to avoid loosing more, you should play with a strong range in SB, and take the lead, squeezing, 3-betting, and so on...

 

[Sparta77]

In many cases, I have added it, of course, when my card is favorable.I raise it when I know for sure that I am strong from the starting hand.

 

[Rmi]

It always depends on the attacking player and the BB, although your strategy isn't bad

 

[dannystanks]

I realized that I was losing a lot of money playing in the small blind. So I started to adjust my range and avoid speculative hands against strong increases. For example, now I only pay with medium or high pairs and 3-bet with AK or better. That small change has already increased my win rate in that position. What do you do in the small blind?

The small blind right along with the big blind are the biggest loosing positions at the table. When we fight back when can at least recoup some of those chips, mitigating some of the losses.
When you get comfortable with this range try putting in some bluff hands at this spot. If we are only 3 betting premiums you will be way too predictable to anyone paying attention.

 

[Dimidrol2]

The easiest way is not to play it as often as you want and you'll start losing less, which is an improvement in itself. It's still hard to play first on the flop.

 

[thetick33]

I realized that I was losing a lot of money playing in the small blind. So I started to adjust my range and avoid speculative hands against strong increases. For example, now I only pay with medium or high pairs and 3-bet with AK or better. That small change has already increased my win rate in that position. What do you do in the small blind?

If your playing marginal hands in small blind its best to raise then continuation bet....is good play to steal to me

 

[nelomec]

I realized that I was losing a lot of money playing in the small blind. So I started to adjust my range and avoid speculative hands against strong increases. For example, now I only pay with medium or high pairs and 3-bet with AK or better. That small change has already increased my win rate in that position. What do you do in the small blind?

Generally in the small blinds, my range varies a lot depending on how many players are in the hand and the actions they take before me, but I have a very tight betting and calling range. I think this position is good when we are dealing with loose passive players.

 

[antonis32123]

Big blond is better , small blond is problematic I think especially vs bg blond , to fight for the pot against big blond you have no position . I play very conservatively on the small blond , limping many times

 

[Urameshi]

blind wars are avoidable. if you know your opponent is a maniac, you have to be patient

 

[besttest11]

Depends on the opponents.